There always seems to be that one memorable game each generation which you will remember long after the credits roll. There had been few already during the PlayStation 3 generation, however, personally The Last of Us is a true masterpiece that comes around every few years.
The amount of polish, details and hard work Naughty Dog put into the game itself is incredible. More then often during my 22 hours of gameplay have I stopped and just enjoyed the beautiful environments, from lush winter forests to lakes and rivers gently floating under the bright sun.
This isn't the game that incorporates happy feelings however, this is a very personal story of Joel and Ellie who meet on a mission and together, while not always cooperatively, endure the worst of human and non-human brutality..
Without any spoilers, the story of The Last of Us is harsh, survival and very difficult journey of two individuals who both have different perspective and tale to tell. The world had been in chaos as humanity is poisoned by a virus that turns humans into the fungus brain zombies if you can call them that, they attack and kill anyone on sight and if you're bitten, not even before a day or two and you will turn into one yourself. Joel is one of the survivors who remembers the good, peaceful days, the rotten world he tries to survive today however had made him hard, stubborn and untrustworthy.
Ellie has never seen good old days, she was born into the post Apocalypse and doesn't know anything but pure survival and each day a fight for her life and another meal, if one is to be found.
One of the best aspects of the game are this interactive moments between Joel and Ellie, you can relate to both people and realize even in this difficult times, there is still reason and hope to live.
The games offers between 12-15 hours on the average, more if you look around for hard to find collectibles and scraps of metal which ultimately offer numerous upgrades to your weapons and personal abilities, such as health and crafting materials.
The story is a true highlight, the visual fidelity is probably the best I have seen on the PlayStation 3 so far. It truly is gorgeous game with many fine details those who take their time will appreciate and get immersed.
As a final note, I definitely recommend everyone who still hasn't played the game to find some time and lose yourself into one of the most polished and masterful titles this generation.
If you are a fan of third person survival/adventure games with excellent story don't miss out.
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